VANCOUVER – In Italian homes, the kitchen isn’t just the “room” where food is prepared. The kitchen in Italy is THE room. It’s the place where, between pots and pans, people talk and confide, share stories and tell, while the aroma of sauce or soffritto fills the air. There couldn’t have been a better location, therefore, for the series of interviews that Italian-Canadian writer Marzia Bellotti Molatore decided to conduct with some Italian grandmothers in Vancouver, who emigrated to Canada long ago but have always remained faithful to Italian cuisine. 

In the interviews, the “Nonnas” share their stories of emigration and present at the same time a typical recipe from their home regions, which they refine in their home kitchens. Each interview, made on video with subtitles in both Italian and English (since both interviewer and interviewees speak one language and the other, like any real Italian-Canadian!), is visible on all the social media platforms of “Bella Cibo” that is Marzia’s format made famous thanks to the successful book “Cooking with Mamma Marzia,” which has sold thousands of copies throughout Canada and the United States.

This new project — that Marzia alternates with her cooking class “Bella Cibo” through which she teaches Italian cuisine — is called “Stories of Belonging” and is ongoing: every week, Marzia publishes a series of interviews, and several are already online, such as the one with Nonna Maria.

Born in Bella, a small town in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata, Nonna Maria arrived in Canada in 1957 by ship at the age of thirteen, embarking on an extraordinary journey alone to support her sister, who was raising two small children in Winnipeg and expecting a third.

She traveled by boat for 9 days. The lady was meant to care for her was ill, but everyone else in the boat helped her navigate much of the experience. The journey from Italy to Winnipeg lasted 9 days — an extraordinary undertaking for such a young girl.

Only six days after Maria’s arrival in Winnipeg, her sister gave birth. Though still a child herself, Maria quickly took on responsibilities within the household. She did not attend school in Canada, but her work and dedication provided vital help to her family.

In 1958, Maria’s brother joined her in Winnipeg, and two years later, in 1960, her parents emigrated as well, following his marriage. The family’s reunification marked a new chapter of stability and belonging in their adopted country.

At nineteen, Maria met her future husband, a man originally from Treviso. The following year, at the age of twenty, she married him. Their union lasted twenty-seven years, until his passing, and together they had three children.

Today, Maria is the proud Italian-Canadian grandmother of six grandchildren, a legacy that continues to reflect the resilience and strength she carried with her from her earliest days in Italy. And hers is a story of courage, sacrifice, and unconditional love for her family: from her departure from Bella as a child to her life in Canada as a mother and grandmother, Maria embodies the experience of many Italian immigrants who have built a new life without ever forgetting their roots (below, the interview with Nonna Maria, with recipe).

Then there’s Nonna Eleonora, who first came to Vancouver in 1967 from Lanciano, in the province of Chieti (Abruzzo), and subsequently embarked on a series of incredible journeys and experiences between Italy and Canada, which she recounts in the interview given to Marzia in the… kitchen.

The first time she arrived in Vancouver, in 1967, Eleonora was only nine years old, traveling with her parents on a ship from Naples to Halifax. From there, they boarded a train that took five days to cross the country, finally bringing them to Vancouver—a place that felt so far from her Abruzzo.

But the beginning wasn’t easy. Her parents couldn’t find work, and Eleonora herself had no school to attend. With worry in their hearts, her parents made the difficult decision to send her back to Italy, where her grandmother could take care of her and ensure she had an education.

Eleonora remembers that journey well. She was traveling alone for the very first time, with a small sign pinned to her clothes. She felt both excited and scared—too young to be without her parents, but also filled with curiosity. Her parents didn’t have enough money for extra tickets, so they stayed behind in Canada, determined to work and save.

Back in Italy, her grandmother became her anchor. She taught Eleonora the traditions she still holds close today: Christmas’ “taralli” made with wheat jelly, and the fragrant “crespelle” that filled the house with the smell of the holidays. Eleonora’s grandmother, even without any money, always gave back to others—a quiet way of saying thank you. These lessons shaped who Eleonora is today.

After a few years, her parents returned to Italy from Vancouver, but soon decided to try again. The second time, things went differently: they found work, Eleonora was able to attend school, and she began learning English. And she met Aldo, the man she would marry, and together they built a beautiful family with three children.

Today, she passes down her “grandmother’s teachings” through the generations: she still prepares the recipes she learned as a child—like Christmas’ “taralli” and many others—and has passed them on to her children (below, an excerpt from the interview).

And, then, Nonna Elena: originally from Zuncoli, a small village in the hills of Avellino, Campania, Elena left Italy in 1965 with her husband and young daughter.

Before settling in Vancouver, they lived in Switzerland in a modest shared room, where the kitchen was communal and filled with the mingling aromas of family meals. It was a humble life, shaped by hope and the dream of something more.

Encouraged by her brother-in-law, who had already moved to Canada, Elena and her family boarded a plane from Switzerland to Halifax, then continued on to Vancouver. She arrived with love in her heart and the strength of her Italian roots, leaving behind her parents and thirteen siblings.

When she came to Canada in 1965, she wasn’t too happy. Canada looked very different from Italy and Switzerland. She recalls going to the store and seeing people walking around with hair rollers in their hair—something you would never see in Italy or anywhere in Europe!

Today, Nonna Elena has three children and ten grandchildren. Her Christmas table is famous for homemade “cannelloni” and “crostoli”. She prepares a generous amount of cannelloni per person, starting early in the morning with the fresh pasta and finishing late at night. And everything is rolled by hand. Her “crostoli”—thin, crispy, and sweet—are a cherished recipe she learned in Switzerland, made with… laughter and love.

Today, Elena (now… grandmother!) continues to proudly serve her community. She received the “Star Award” from the Italian Cultural Center for her volunteer work, is deputy director of the “Lady’s Club,” and is a member of the Campania Region Board: her dedication and smile are known throughout the Italian-Canadian community (below, an excerpt from the interview).

Well, each of these grandmothers (like many others) told Marzia the many adventures of truly unique lives. “Listening to them” Marzia explains “I realized that their stories aren’t just about migration: they’re about resilience, love, and how traditions travel across oceans and stay alive in new places. All these grandmothers are living proof that culture can be carried in our hearts and our kitchens, wherever life takes us…”.

And what’s Mamma Marzia’s story? Italian from Traona, a tiny village in the province of Sondrio, in the North of Italy, Marzia has lived in Vancouver for over twenty years: she has brought to Canada the most authentic Italian cuisine. Just like the grandmothers she interviews. However, we interviewed her a few years ago, and you can read the article here: “Mamma Marzia’s” recipes conquer North America

…here below are all the links to the social media platforms to see all of Mamma Marzia’s interviews with the grandmothers. Happy… navigation!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellacibo72

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bellacibo

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@mammamarzia

YouTube: www.YouTube.com/@mammamarzia

In the pics above, from letf: Mamma Marzia with Nonna Maria, Nonna Eleonora and Nonna Elena